A few weeks ago a couple from Surrey rang me. They’d seen a three-bed apartment in Estepona, asking €495,000, and wanted to put an offer in by the weekend. Lovely property, fair price. Then I asked the boring questions. Have you got an NIE? Have you spoken to a Spanish bank yet? Do you know how the 90-day rule works for you now? There was a long silence on the other end.
They got there. They own the apartment now. But it took ten weeks longer than it needed to, and they paid two months of avoidable currency exposure because nobody had walked them through the order of operations.
So here it is. The order of operations, the honest version, with the 2026 numbers, written for British buyers because that’s almost everyone we work with.
First, the post-Brexit reality (it’s not as bad as you’ve been told)
Three things have actually changed for UK buyers since 2021:
- You’re now a “non-EU non-resident.” Spain has always sold property to non-EU buyers. This isn’t a wall, just a different paperwork set.
- Mortgage loan-to-value caps are tighter for non-residents, typically 60-70% rather than the up-to-80% available to Spanish residents. (Idealista, Wise)
- You can’t live here year-round on a UK passport alone. The 90-day-in-180 Schengen rule applies, and owning property does not get you a residency permit. (UK Government Brexit travel guidance via thinkSpain)
Two things people think changed but really haven’t:
- You can still buy property here freely. No special permission needed.
- You don’t pay extra tax just for being British. Transfer tax in Andalucía is the same flat 7% whether you’re from Antrim or Antwerp. (CostaLuz Lawyers)
One important update many older articles miss: the Golden Visa scheme was scrapped in April 2025. Buying a €500k+ property no longer gives you any residency right. (EU Border Authority Brexit briefing) If you want to live here full time, that’s a separate application, and a separate conversation.
Right. Here’s how the actual purchase works.
Step 1: Get your NIE before you fly
The NIE (Número de Identificación de Extranjeros) is your Spanish tax ID. You can’t sign a property deed, open a Spanish bank account, or pay your transfer tax without one. Get it sorted first.
You have two options as a UK citizen:
- At the Spanish Consulate in London or Edinburgh. Email
[email protected]for an appointment. Bring the EX-15 form (filled in, not signed), your passport plus a copy, and proof of payment of the €9.84 fee on Form 790-012. Processing time is roughly three weeks, and they email it to you. (Spanish Consulate London) - In Spain via a power of attorney. If you can’t fly to London for the appointment, your Spanish lawyer can apply on your behalf. Costs about €100 to €200 plus the government fee.
The mistake we see most: people wait until they’ve found a property, then realise they need an NIE, then panic. Don’t be that person. Apply the week you decide you’re serious about buying.
Step 2: Open a Spanish bank account
You’ll need one to pay deposits, the notary, and your future utilities. Most Spanish banks now offer non-resident accounts that take 30 to 60 minutes in branch. Bring your passport, your NIE, and proof of address from the UK. Many of the larger banks (Banco Santander, BBVA, Sabadell) have English-speaking branches in Marbella, Estepona, and Sotogrande. Ask before you book the appointment.
While you’re there, ask about a mortgage in principle if you’re not paying cash.
Step 3: Sort your finance (if you’re not paying cash)
Here are the 2026 numbers that matter:
- Maximum LTV for non-residents: 60 to 70% of the lower of valuation or purchase price (JS Finance Solutions, Idealista)
- Deposit you’ll need: 30 to 40% of the property price, plus another 10 to 13% for taxes and fees (more on those in a minute)
- Best fixed rates available to non-residents in 2026: roughly 3.2% to 4.5%, depending on the bank and your profile (Wise 2026 Spain mortgage guide)
- Debt-to-income ceiling: most Spanish lenders cap your total monthly debt at 35 to 40% of net income
Documents your bank will want: passport, NIE, three months of UK payslips (or two years of accounts if self-employed), SA302 tax returns, six to twelve months of UK bank statements, proof of deposit, a UK credit report, and the property details.
Heads-up on currency: if your deposit is sitting in pounds and the euro moves 5%, that’s £25,000 on a €500k purchase. Lock in your FX with a forward contract via a specialist broker (Wise, Currencies Direct, OFX) rather than letting your high-street bank do it on the day. High-street rates are typically 2 to 4% worse than market.
Step 4: Find the right property (and visit it more than once)
This is where we come in, and we’re biased. But here’s the genuine advice: walk the neighbourhood at three different times. Morning. Late afternoon. Friday or Saturday night. Costa del Sol urbanisations can feel completely different in season vs. off-season, and the 9pm noise from the bar 200 metres away is not in any listing.
Where most British buyers we work with end up:
- Estepona: quieter than Marbella, walkable old town, good value €/m², genuine Spanish feel.
- Marbella (especially the Golden Mile, Nueva Andalucía, Elviria): established expat community, every service in English, premium pricing.
- Sotogrande: golf, polo, marinas, larger villas, the most “international” of the lot.
- Mijas Costa: best value-for-money family option, easy airport access.
We send buyers a shortlist that always includes at least one property they didn’t ask for, usually because their stated brief and their actual lifestyle don’t match. Worth doing.
Step 5: Hire your own Spanish lawyer (do not skip this)
Independent of the estate agent. Costs roughly 1% of the purchase price (often a fixed fee around €1,500 to €3,000 for typical properties). They’ll:
- Run searches on the property at the Land Registry (no charges, no encumbrances, no debts owed by the seller)
- Verify the seller can actually sell it
- Check the cadastral and registry descriptions match
- Confirm there are no community-fee arrears
- Draft and review the deposit contract (contrato de arras)
- Power-of-attorney completion if you can’t be there in person
We cannot stress this enough: the agent works for the seller, the lawyer works for you. A good Spanish property lawyer pays for themselves on the first thing they catch.
Step 6: The deposit contract (contrato de arras)
Once your offer is accepted, you sign a contrato de arras (private contract) and pay a deposit, typically 10% of the agreed price. This locks both parties in:
- If you pull out without legal cause, you lose the 10%.
- If the seller pulls out, they owe you double, i.e. 20% back to you.
This is also when you and your lawyer agree the completion date, usually 4 to 8 weeks later, depending on whether there’s a mortgage in play.
Step 7: Completion at the notary (escritura)
Both parties (or their lawyers under power of attorney) meet at a Spanish notary. The notary reads the deed aloud, you pay the balance via banker’s draft, you sign, you get the keys. Whole thing takes about an hour.
Here’s where the real cost of buying crystallises. Budget 10 to 15% on top of the purchase price for taxes and fees (Tejada Solicitors, Real Estate Andalusia):
| Cost (resale property in Andalucía) | Amount |
|---|---|
| ITP transfer tax | 7% flat of the higher of price or cadastral reference value |
| Notary fees | €600 to €1,200 |
| Land Registry fees | €400 to €800 |
| Lawyer | ~1% of purchase price |
| Mortgage costs (if applicable) | 0.5 to 1.5% (valuation, opening fee, AJD on the mortgage) |
| Bank transfer / FX margin | varies; minimise via forex broker |
Worked example, €500,000 resale apartment in Estepona:
- ITP (7%): €35,000
- Notary: €1,000
- Registry: €600
- Lawyer: €5,000
- Subtotal of fees: ~€41,600 (about 8.3%). That’s before any mortgage costs or FX margin.
If you’re buying a new build directly from a developer, ITP doesn’t apply. Instead you pay 10% IVA plus 1 to 2% AJD stamp duty. So new builds cost slightly more in tax, but you get the developer’s snags warranty and (usually) a brand-new kitchen.
ITP must be paid within 30 days of signing the deed. Late payment incurs surcharges of 1 to 20% plus interest, so don’t drift on this. (CostaLuz Lawyers)
Step 8: Post-completion housekeeping
Within the first month after completion, your lawyer (or you) should:
- Pay the ITP at the Junta de Andalucía, within 30 days
- Register the deed at the Land Registry, usually 2 to 3 months later
- Switch the utilities into your name (water, electricity, internet)
- Set up direct debits for IBI (council tax, typically 0.4 to 1.1% of cadastral value annually), community fees, and rubbish tax
- File Form 210 annually, the non-resident income tax return, even if you don’t rent the property out (Spain charges imputed income tax on second homes)
That last one catches a lot of people. Your lawyer or a Spanish gestor will file it for you for €100 to €200 a year. Just budget for it.
And finally: the 90/180-day question
You can spend up to 90 days in any rolling 180 days in the Schengen Area (which is most of mainland Europe, including Spain) on a UK passport. That’s roughly six months a year, but not consecutively. The rolling window is strict.
If you want to spend more, say October to April here and summer in the UK, you’ll need a Non-Lucrative Visa (passive income, no working from Spain) or a Digital Nomad Visa (introduced 2023, perfect if you can work remotely for non-Spanish clients). Both are real options. Both are separate applications, both involve Spanish tax residency consequences, and both deserve a proper conversation with a Spanish immigration lawyer before you commit.
The new EU Entry/Exit System (EES) is rolling out across Spanish border controls and will be fully active by April 2026. It uses biometrics rather than passport stamps, which means overstays will be tracked automatically. Be careful. Penalties range from fines to multi-year Schengen bans. (UK Government Brexit travel guidance)
What this all looks like in your calendar
If you start today and everything goes to plan:
- Week 1 to 3: NIE application
- Week 2 to 4: Spanish bank account, mortgage in principle, currency broker set up
- Week 3 to 8: Viewings, offer, arras contract signed (10% deposit paid)
- Week 8 to 12: Mortgage formal approval, lawyer searches, completion at notary
- Week 12 to 16: ITP filed, utilities transferred, registration complete
So roughly 3 to 4 months from “we’re ready” to keys in hand, if you front-load the NIE and the bank account.
A short, honest closing thought
Buying a place on the Costa del Sol as a British buyer in 2026 is more paperwork than it was pre-Brexit, but it isn’t harder in any meaningful way, and the market here is still rewarding people who buy well. What does trip people up is the order of operations: NIE late, bank account late, currency unhedged, no Spanish lawyer of their own. None of those are unavoidable. They’re just the things estate agents don’t always volunteer until they have to.
If you’d like a candid conversation about whether the Costa del Sol genuinely fits what you’re looking for, and a shortlist that’s been filtered for your situation rather than what’s sitting on every portal, we’d be happy to help.
Tell me what you’re looking for and I’ll send a shortlist →
No pressure, no spam. Just an honest, knowledgeable conversation. Michael, My Spanish Property Finder
Always verify current rates and rules with a qualified Spanish tax adviser and a Spanish property lawyer. Figures in this article are accurate to April 2026 but rules change.
